A Demon Affair
by YoungestCullen8
Summary: Sequel to Two Dragons. Kary returns to Japan to give Hiei the shock of his life. What will he do? And when Mukuro threatens everything, can he protect her? R&R
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** This is the sequel to Two Dragons. I had it stated but misplaced it so I had to start it from scratch. So I hope you enjoy it.

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Hiei blinked as the light shone through the opened window. Kurama and his need to open the window every morning, including his own in his private room. He groaned at the fox's persistence. It had been a few months since he had moved in with his best friend after deciding he needed a break from Mukuro. He liked his job moving humans back into Human World after they somehow managed to get to Demon World but lately Mukuro had been getting agitated with him over nothing. So he left going to Kurama's for sanctuary. Mukuro wouldn't attack Kurama without inciting Yomi's and Yusuke's wraths.

He decided that he had spent enough time in the warm bed Kurama had gotten for him and go see what the fox had left him for breakfast. Kurama left at ungodly hours of the morning for school. He usually made himself breakfast, leaving enough for Hiei to eat when he got up. The fox was just considerate like that.

Hiei made the bed and picked up his neatly folded clothing. Since he had showered last night when he came in from the storm, there was no point for one right now so he just threw on his shirt and left the room.

The hallway smelled good, which meant Kurama had been late leaving this morning. He walked down the stairs and entered the kitchen to ransack the refrigerator. He found his breakfast and noticed it was still warm. As he pulled it out, he heard someone in the living room. As he listened closely, he realized it was two people. Curiosity got the better of him and he went to investigate.

He stopped at the door when he realized who it was. Kary sat in the living room talking with Kurama. They were on the couch talking quietly about something important by the tone of the voice Kurama took.

The last time Hiei had seen Kary was about a year ago when he went to her hometown. Since she had been here last, which was four years ago, he had traveled to see her multiple times a year. The first time had been a shock. They had just run into each other on the street, gone to a café and just talked. After that, he would show up whenever he could. She accepted him every time.

Two years ago their relationship had gone from completely platonic to physical. The first time he had been completely nervous. She was almost a normal human; almost normal because she was born into the rare breed of psychics like Genkai. His heart had raced until she had gripped his head and merged their minds so he could feel what she felt. After that, every time they were together they shared their minds.

Early last year he had gone back to see her and she had gone missing. It bothered him but he really didn't have too many days to waste looking for her. He had to go back to work.

Now here she was sitting in his living room.

"Care to join us, Hiei?" Kurama asked.

The fire demon was drawn to the girl as she turned around to look at him, shock clearly written on her face. She shouldn't be the one shocked. She had showed up at his house. Then again, there was no way for her to know that since he hadn't seen her in a year. He noticed her hair was longer and tied back at the base of her neck.

"Hey, Hiei," she said timidly. Her voice was enough to bring him down.

"What are you doing here, Kary?" he heard himself asking. Kurama and Kary shared a worried look. Hiei looked between them. "What's going on?"

The look in Kary's eyes was enough to make him think twice about throttling the fox seated before him. Something about it said Kurama knew more than even Hiei gave him credit for and he was doing what he could to help. Hiei stared at her for few moments and tried to figure out what that look meant. He had never seen it and he had seen plenty of her looks; angry looks, pleasured looks, concerned looks, annoyed looks, and even funny looks but never a worried look.

Kurama patted her knee and stood, ascending the stairs to the second floor. Hiei and Kary didn't say a word as their friend moved around upstairs. He was talking softly, but Hiei couldn't hear what he was saying. Not that it mattered. His eyes were locked on Kary.

He knew when her expression changed to something completely different. She looked past him to Kurama as he descended the stairs. She was smiling happily. Hiei turned to see what had made her so happy. Kurama was holding a baby in his arms as he crossed the living room to the couch, handing the baby to Kary. She started babbling to the little guy as he smiled up at her and made a couple of interesting faces.

"What's the meaning of this?" Hiei demanded when he got his voice back.

Kary wrapped her arms protectively around the baby as Kurama turned slightly to keep his body between his two friends.

"Hiei, don't do this." he said.

"Whose child is this?" the fire demon asked.

Kurama and Kary looked at each other. It looked as if they were having a silent conversation without talking telepathically. Finally Kary nodded.

"This is Keyan and he's your son." She said as she maneuvered the baby around on her lap.

Hiei halted the reply that was on his tongue and stared at her. She had no reason to lie to him and he had no reason not to believe her. He walked forward and sat down on the couch. The baby turned and looked at him, holding his mother's necklace in his pudgy hand. After the two looked each other over for a few moments, the little boy launched himself at Hiei. The older man barely had time to catch him.

"When she showed up here with Keyan, I had no idea. Then she explained everything and it all made perfect sense. When you were off, you went to America to spend time with her." Kurama said. "What doesn't make sense is why you started a physical relationship with Kary."

"Why does anyone do it?" Hiei snapped.

"There are multiple reasons humans do it, but I know you better than that. You have to have deep feelings for you to do something. You obviously did to sleep with Kary."

"You make it sound as if I did it just to do it."

"Did you?"

"No!"

Kurama nodded. "Kary, how old is Keyan?"

"Fourteen months on the thirteenth." She replied as she took her son from his father. She looked at Hiei, noticing he didn't shift his gaze when she did. "It's been five years since we first met and we both know how that went. I won't ask you to do something you're to capable of doing. Deegan just told me it was a good idea for you to know."

"Your brother is wise." She nodded. "Do you have a place to stay?"

"Yeah, Deegan booked me a room for a week at the Shuiran Hotel. He said it should give me time to figure out what I'm going to do."

"You can stay here if you wish."

"I don't want to intrude. I'll just stay at the hotel until I can figure something out. Thanks for the offer though, Kurama."

"If you need anything, call us."

"I will."

Kurama smiled as he closed the door behind her as she left his home. Then he turned a quizzative eye to Hiei. "So you have a son and you're not going to do anything to stop him or his mother from walking out the door and out of your life."

"There's nothing I can do." Hiei replied. "She didn't even tell me she had him."

"She came here to do just that. If you would go to her and find out everything, you would understand why she didn't meet you last time. A baby comes with responsibility, responsibility she took on her shoulders by herself."

Hiei looked at his friend. "She did that alone?"

Kurama nodded. "She's raised Keyan alone, not accepting help from anyone. There was no way she could tell you before now. She didn't have the money to come see you."

"She could have told me telepathically."

"Would you have believed her?"

That was a valid question. There was no way Hiei would have believed her because he wouldn't have been able to see her expressions. The reason he knew Keyan was his son was because the way she looked when she told him. There was no lying in her eyes when she told him who the child was in her arms.

"I didn't think so. Now if you don't mind, get your happy butt up and go bring that young woman back as well as your son."

Kurama promptly put him outside the door with his shoes. Hiei grumbled as he slipped his boots on then took off for the hotel.


	2. Chapter 2

**Recap**: Hiei finds out he has a son.

Kary watched Keyan sleep in his crib, her emotions warring with each other.

Seeing Hiei had been what she expected: hard.

She had been shocked when Hiei had come to Temecula, California, where she had been living with her brother and his family to finish college. When she had felt him the first time, she had been hanging out with Elly and a couple of guy friends. She felt his anger before she saw him. Upon seeing him, she knew what it looked like. It looked as if she were hanging with a guy because she liked him. In all actuality, she did like the guy she had been hanging with, but seeing Hiei had sent all those feelings packing.

Elly had sensed something was wrong with her and immediately turned the tides on the guys. Kary had left the café they had been sitting in and went to the nearest park. He had showed himself immediately. There was nothing said between them. She had simply held out her hand. He had grunted and took it, following her through the park back to her house.

That first meeting hadn't been anything but peaceful. They hadn't seen each other in a year since she and Elly had gone to Japan to finish some business. Talking hadn't been an issue, meaning they hadn't needed to. They just knew how to talk to each other.

After that initial meeting, Hiei began coming to Temecula a couple of times a year. Kary could always drop just about everything, besides school and work, to hang out with him. When he'd show up while she was at work or school, he would stay hidden until he was certain she was done. For an eighteen year old girl, it was great. The same could be said for nineteen and twenty year old.

The year she turned twenty-one was the hardest year. She was able to drink legally and had been since she started working at a bar. One night in late August, she had been slinging drinks when a guy had gotten a little too frisky with her. She tried to tell him to get on with his night but he wasn't getting the hint. There was no way she could use any of her power on him; that was strictly frowned upon by her brother. He finally grabbed at her. She swung away from him, spilling tequila all over her. The guy suddenly made an incoherent noise before he fell over. Kary looked up into the face of Hiei seconds before he pulled her from the bar. Luckily it was time for her to go home anyway.

That night had been their first time to ever sleep with each other. Hiei had been a nervous wreck. Kary wasn't a virgin but she was nervous as well, almost as nervous as it had been her first time all over again. She smiled up at him and said something she never thought she'd say. That seemed to ease his mind not at all. So she had done the only thing she knew how to do; she grasped his head and eased her mind into his.

After that, whenever he came they indulged themselves in each other. Hiei was always careful because they both knew he could really hurt her if he lost control. It was something she looked forward to when he visited.

Almost two years ago, the unthinkable happened. It was after they had spent the night getting to know each other again. She had been at work when she had gotten sick. Elly had dragged her to the doctor and she found out she was pregnant. Her siblings had been flabbergasted because neither knew she had been seeing anyone. Deegan made her quit her job at the bar in favor for a better one. She had started working at his company.

Keyan had come right on time. He was born in March and had been a big baby. The entire family helped pitch in when she couldn't do it all. Raising her son had been the best fourteen months of her life. But Deegan had insisted she tell the father he had a son. That meant she had to come to Japan because there was no way she was going to summon Hiei. He needed to be in his own surroundings before he could find out about Keyan. So Deegan had booked her a flight and hotel for a week with the orders that if she needed extra time to call him.

Her first instinct was to call Kurama once she landed. He always knew where the fire demon was and was her best bet. She had no idea he would know exactly where Hiei was the moment she asked. She had laughed when he asked who the baby was and got his answer. The look that had come upon his face when he reached for the child was priceless, but in his human form, Kurama was a gently person. The same couldn't be said for his demon side which she felt simmering close to the surface.

He had taken her back to his place and gotten her something to eat. Keyan had lay in the floor and played while the adults talked for a bit. Kary noticed something else about Kurama. Even though he had decided to forego college because he already had immense knowledge from his long life, he was still learning every day. She had allowed him to attempt to put the little boy down for a nap and he had done it efficiently. He volunteered to put the boy in his bed to rest.

After a while they had just sat around discussing how this entire thing happened. The fact that Hiei was the father really didn't come as a shock to Kurama. He knew the fire demon had had a thing for her before she left. Now there was proof of that. He told her Hiei was asleep upstairs. That was the shocker. Hiei hated staying indoors. He rarely did when he came to see her, opting to weak her to say he was leaving.

When the man that was the topic showed up, there was nothing she could do to stop the shock she had in seeing him. It had been two years and there he was. Kurama had called him over and forced him into conversation. Then Keyan woke up and everything was changing.

The look on Hiei's face when he saw the boy was something she knew she would see. Keyan literally flung himself at his father, clearly understanding who he was without being near him. He didn't seem like he was worried so she left. Now as she watched her son sleep once again, she was reminded how his father made her feel the night he was conceived.

There was a knock at the door. She got up and went to see who it was. Opening the door, she was clearly surprised.

"Hiei?" she said. She opened the door farther as she stepped back. There was no need to hide the baby from him. He wouldn't do anything. "What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" he asked as he paced into the room. "Get your stuff. You're coming with me."

"I didn't agree with this."

"I know you didn't, but you're coming. I'm not going to let my son and his mother stay somewhere I can't be or have someone I trust with them."

She smiled. "So you believe me?"

"I know you weren't a virgin when we started our relationship and I also know you never were with anyone between our meetings. Of course I believe you."

"Is it because you watched me?" He nodded, not even bothering to deny the fact that he had watched her with his Jagan eye. It was the least he could do when he was in Demon World. He cast her a look as he heard her move. "I'm going to need a little bit of help."

He didn't say a word as he helped her clean up her room. He watched as she carefully moved the baby from his crib then folded it up. She strapped it across her back then lifted the boy from the bed. She nodded at him and he opened the door for her. Together they moved into the hallway.

"Hey, Kurama, are you home?" Yusuke asked as he barged into the house unannounced.

"Of course he is, Yusuke. Why would he leave his door unlocked?" Kayko asked as she followed her boyfriend into the house, slipping off her shoes.

"You never know with Kurama. He would have a skin eating plant to guard his house as a precaution."

"Yes, but you would never see it until half your skin is gone," Kurama said as he came into the dining room where his friends had progressed. "Next time, Yusuke, knock."

"Knocking is overrated. Besides Hiei never answers."

"That's because he's never here. Until now."

Yusuke was shocked. "He's here now?"

"He's been here for two weeks."

"Hiei never stays in one place for long."

"Yes, but this time he has a different drive." Kurama smiled as his friends' confusion. "Please come in."

"Hiei, you can't do it that way!" Kayko and Yusuke frowned at the familiar voice. "No, it doesn't go there."

"Then where does it go?" Hiei snapped.

"Right there. See how happy he is?"

"This is ridiculous."

"It's how it has to be done. He won't get anything if you tip it that way."

"Okay, what is going on in there?" Yusuke asked. He walked into the living room. "Oh, hey, Kary!"

"How do you know her, Yusuke?" Kayko asked, suspicious of his tone.

"I met her a few years ago on a mission for Koenma. What are you doing here and with… a kid? Since when did you have a kid?"

"A year ago, Yusuke." She replied without even looking at him. The baby in Hiei's arms grinned around the cup he had pressed against his face.

"Hey, Kurama, why is Hiei holding the kid if he's Kary's?"

"Because he's my son, you fool." Hiei snarled. The baby surprised him by laughing at his tone.

Yusuke almost dead panned right there. "Who knew Hiei could have sex."

"Yusuke!" Kayko exclaimed.

Hiei set the suddenly squirming boy on the ground and watched him lift himself up onto two feet and toddle away. "Apparently I can because I have a son." He looked over when Kary nudged his shoulder slightly. She smiled at him then looked back at the little boy as he screamed then made a mad charge for Kurama. "Yes, take out the fox."

"What brings you here, Yusuke?" Kurama asked as he picked the little boy up and swung him around.

"Koenma called me while I was out with Kayko. He wants us to meet at Genkai's temple tonight after everyone's off work." Yusuke seemed to reconsider his words as he looked at the two newcomers. "Hiei, are you going to bring Kary and your son?"

"I'm not leaving them here unprotected." Hiei replied with a slight bite to his voice. Even if it had just been Kary, who is quite capable of defending herself, he wouldn't leave her alone.

"Okay. I was just letting you know."

"Do you know why he's contacted you, Yusuke?" Kurama asked as he set the baby back down and watched him walk towards the kitchen. "It would unwise to walk into this without knowing what we're getting into."

"For once I agree with the fox." Hiei said as he watched Kary get up and go into the kitchen to get Keyan. As she lifted him, she pressed her face into his exposed belly and blew long and hard. The little boy laughed and wriggled to get down. As she lowered him, her long brown hair fell over her shoulder.

"What time should we be there?" Kary asked. They all looked at her. "I need to know because I have a schedule I keep him on as I can."

"Makes sense." Kurama replied.

"We need to be there by seven." Yusuke replied.

Kary bit the nail on her left forefinger in thought, something Hiei noticed she did when she was calculating something silently. She finally nodded. "I can do that."

Yusuke smiled. "Good. If I know Yukina, she will have dinner waiting on us when we get there so bring your appetites."

"We will." Kurama replied. He walked them to the door, closing it with a gentle goodbye. He returned a few moments. "Are you serious about this whole thing, Hiei?"

Hiei and Kary both looked at him as Kary wrestled with Keyan. "What are you talking about, Kurama?"

"You do know that if Mukuro finds out about this, she will mount an assault on Kary to get your son so she has something to hold over your head just because of the way you left her territory."

"Why do you think I'm taking Kary with me tonight? I won't let Mukuro get her hands on them."

"Why are you so adamant about this?"

"I don't understand."

"I think he's trying to say that you've never shown an interest in anyone before. Why are you showing interest in me?" Kary asked. She really wasn't thinking much of it because she knew how she felt about him, how she always had and how she wasn't going to push him because she had his son. That was something she would never give up.

Hiei watched her as she picked up Keyan's toys that the baby had scattered around the house during his romp. She had obviously accepted their relationship for what it was, purely physical. Her mind was focused on the one thing he had given her. Yet, he knew how she felt because he felt it brush against his mind. Whether she was aware of what she was doing or not, he wasn't going to tell her. That meant she might pull away from him completely. In the last year, he had felt completely alone when he hadn't been able to see her. He didn't want that to happen.

"Hiei?" Kurama coaxed. He had noticed when the fire demon had gotten quiet due to Kary speaking up. Obviously there was something going on inside of him that he hadn't quite come to terms with. Kary, on the other hand, was at peace as could be told by the look on her face.

"It's quite simple. The woman is the mother of my son, whom I am quite fond of. I wouldn't want anything to happen to her." Hiei played it safe with his reply.

Kary smiled and looked over her shoulder at Kurama. The fox rolled his eyes. "I understand." She said. She grabbed Keyan as he tried to slip by. "Come on, little man. Time for your bath."

As she headed upstairs with the baby and Kurama walked into the kitchen, Hiei was left as if he missed something important.


	3. Chapter 3

**Recap:** Kary revisits the last few years with Hiei, the aforementioned demon comes to take his family back to his house, and Yusuke shows up with news.

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Koenma sighed heavily as all the young women oohed and ahhed over the hybrid baby boy in the room.

They had all showed up at the designated time. Yusuke was the first one on time which was really scary considering he was never on time for anything. Hiei and Kary were the last ones because they had to take the human route because Keyan wasn't used to their enhanced abilities.

As soon as the baby walked in the door, the women swarmed. Yukina, Botan, Shizuru, and Kayko literally took the boy from his mother and cast her aside. Kary simply resided herself to sitting on the sidelines as she watched her son be passed from woman to woman. She wasn't concerned because he was a charmer and found something interesting about each woman, but she a little nervous. Something was building in the temple that could have lasting effects on him.

Five years ago she had been in this same temple when her sister had been snatched by a demon using a bolt hole. If what Kurama said was true, Mukuro could come at any time to snatch Keyan. This was a sacred place but that didn't stop demons when they were on a rampage.

"Hiei, you can't do that!" she heard Botan exclaim.

She looked up as the fire demon walked back over to her and handed Keyan to her. She smiled up at him as she stood and situated the boy in her arms. Looking down at him, she noticed he yawned heavily. Not even thinking about it, she started swaying to no music. Keyan fisted her shirt in his hand, shifted his head, and settled down as his eyes closed gently.

"Well, now I've seen it all," Botan whispered. "I never thought I'd see the day when Hiei would be gentle to a child."

Hiei grit his teeth together in agitation. Rounding on the blue haired ferry girl, he said, "He's my son, you incompetent moron."

"There's no need for name calling, Hiei," Kary stated gently, not even breaking the rhythm she had set. He cast her a look over his shoulder and slumped down on the floor.

"No, now you've seen everything." Yusuke replied.

"Putting Hiei bashing aside, what's the reason you called us here, Koenma?" Kurama asked. That got everyone's attention.

Koenma sighed. He was not ready to tell this but he had to. It was for the good of everyone in the room. And when he said everyone, he meant it. Looking around the room, he caught everyone's gaze.

"It's come to my attention that Mukuro knows about Kary and Keyan. She's planning a kidnapping attempt to bring either the baby and the mother or just the baby into her realm. We all know what her intentions are because of the blend of traits in the child." There he just put it out there.

Kary looked at the Prince of Spirit World. "You knew about Keyan?"

Hiei looked at Koenma. He nodded. "Yes, I did. I had people watching you to make sure you were safe after your last visit here. I knew when you and Hiei consummated your relationship and I knew when you realized you were pregnant and I knew when you had your son. I never said a word because I couldn't interfere but in this case I'm afraid I must."

"Why?" Her voice had changed from a docile mother to that of a calculated killer. She had never used her abilities for anything other than defense. Coming after her son was cause enough for her to begin planning.

"I can't allow Hiei to go on a killing spree because some demon took his son."

"It's Demon World, Koenma. Why would you care?" Kurama asked.

"Kary would go with him."

"There are many things I would do to protect my son." Kary said. "Trust me. I've already done it."

Hiei looked at her. "What did you do?"

"I simply took care of an unwanted pest." She wasn't going to say anymore because if he found out what it was exactly that she had fought again, he would ever allow her to leave and she needed her independence.

"I understand your tenacity but this has to be done. Mukuro will stop at nothing to torture the woman who took Hiei away from her." He watched as that realization hit the young woman. She knew nothing of Mukuro's rage when she found out Hiei had been travelling back and forth to Human World for a human. It hadn't been good. Turmoil was about to reign down on Demon World once again.

"Do you suggest moving them to the temple?" Genkai asked.

Koenma watched on as Hiei shifted slightly, his agitation at the situation getting worse. "No, I don't think it's wise to do that. She should be where she is now. I just think we should make sure she's protected wherever she goes."

"There are not enough of us to do that," Yusuke stated.

"Well, if my information is correct, she's living with Hiei and Kurama at the moment. That means we only need to add maybe one more person when Kurama's gone to school or work."

"Does it matter what I want?" Kary asked suddenly. Everyone looked at her. She had shifted Keyan to her shoulder then sat down. "I understand you want to watch out for me but I also have to watch out for my interests. If you're only watching out for me to keep Hiei from going to jail and keep peace in Demon World, save it. I'd rather Hiei go to jail killing someone to protect his son than having him sit by and watch something happen to one of us."

Hiei smirked at the smart little speech she had just spouted. It was a testament to her character and what she thought was important. He watched Koenma consider her statement. Because he had been to jail once meant he had an even worse chance of getting a harsher sentence if he went back. He would also leave Kary to raise Keyan alone the rest of her life.

Koenma watched her face but it hadn't changed. She was still that determined snot he met five years ago when she harbored a powerful dragon. Obviously not much had changed since the dragon had been freed. It was no wonder Hiei was drawn to her.

"Koenma, she's right." He turned to Kayko. She was watching silently. "You don't know what it's like to be in love with a demon. Your life revolves around them; when they'll be home, if they're coming home in one piece, how long they'll be away. I know mine and Yusuke's situation is completely different than theirs. We don't have a child. But if we did, I would rather take comfort in the thought that Yusuke was in jail knowing he defended me and our child with everything he had."

Koenma noticed the look in Kary's eyes as the other girl came to her defense. It was all she needed to hear before she decided it wasn't worth it for her to be here.

"We'll discuss this tomorrow when everyone's home for the weekend." He decided after a few moments of thought.

Everyone didn't waste time with pleasantries. They all began to file out to their respective homes.

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Hiei watched Kary place Keyan in his bed then change clothes before getting into bed herself. The ride and the subsequent ride home had been quiet between the three of them. When Kurama got in the house, he immediately excused himself to hide in his room, leaving the other two to take care of their son.

Kary had changed Keyan's diaper then wiped him down with a rag before putting different clothes on him. She had taken her time because she didn't want to talk to Hiei immediately and the little boy was so tired he had to get to bed first. Then she proceeded to go to her bathroom and wash her face and change clothes. At that moment she was so self-conscious she didn't want to change in front of Hiei. It's not like he hadn't seen her completely naked before but right then…. She just didn't want to get into it.

She had walked out of the bathroom and went immediately to the bed. Lying there, she knew Hiei was there. He was always there. He had graciously given up his bed so she could sleep in the same room as Keyan comfortably. He hadn't said a word but she knew he had been watching her from his perch on the window. He always did.

"What will Mukuro do?" she found herself asking into the stillness of the room.

She heard him shift subtly. "If she gets her hands on you and Keyan, she'll keep you alive long enough to make sure I come. Then she'll kill you in front of me and take Keyan to raise as her own. If she gets her hands on Keyan alone, she'll take him to raise."

"What will you do?"

"I'll go after you and him, or just him depending on the situation."

She turned her head to find two glowing red eyes staring at her from across the room. She sat up, pulling her legs in towards her. "Come here."

Fluidly he slid from the windowsill and walked over to the bed, crawling into the void she had left open. Immediately, he reached for her closest hand. "Is what that other human said true?" he asked. She looked up from their hands into his eyes, biting her lower lip in the process. "Do you love me?"

Her eyes softened into what he thought was a sympathetic look. "Why do you want to know?"

He leaned back slightly. "Are you playing coy?"

"No. I just want to know why it bothers you."

"I don't understand."

"You said when we started this not to fall in love with you. I kept my end of the deal. I'm honestly not in love with you. I'm fond of you and I admire your courage, honor, and strength, but I can't say I'm in love with you."

In all honesty, Hiei's heart did a funny little flip. "I did ask you that, didn't I?"

She nodded, her eyes hooded as her thumb traced circles on the back of his hand. "I kept my heart closed. It was hard but I did as you asked."

"Not many people would do that."

"I'm not many people." She sighed heavily and dropped her hand from his. "I don't know what to do."

Hiei closed the distance between them, carefully taking her face in his hands. He forced her to look him in the eyes. She was nervous, he could tell just by the wetness. He rubbed his thumbs along her cheeks. "Trust me to take care of the two of you. You know how I watch out for my family."

She nodded and he thought it would be the end of it. "If I'm going to stay here for a bit, I'm going to need to get a job." He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against hers. "Diapers and formula aren't cheap and I don't want to ask Deegan for money."

"Okay. I guess that means I'm staying here to watch Keyan." Kary shook her head. "No?"

"You have to get back to border patrols. I'll take him to Genkai's so he can stay there."

"That's across town."

"I'll get a job across town so it's on my way." She pressed her palms to his face. "You have to let me do this." He nodded his agreement even though he didn't want to. She knew it wasn't like him but he was going to make it any more difficult than it already was.

Sighing, she took moved his hands from her face and laid back in the bed adjusting her body in the bed. She looked up as Hiei sat on the edge looking down at her. She smiled and took his closest hand in hers. Tugging gently she sprawled him on top of her. Turning onto her side and scouting back, she made enough room for him to lie beside her.

Hiei flattened himself down beside Kary, adjusting to where his knees touched hers. She smiled at him softly. How had he asked this woman not to fall in love with him? She was completely different than any other woman he had ever slept with. She was strong and kind, always standing up for what she believed in without so much as a word against someone else's beliefs. It was something completely different than what he was used to. It could be the reason he kept going back to her time and time again.

He watched as her eyelids grew heavy, hiding the bright blue eyes he had been watching this whole time. Her breathing evened out a few seconds later. He felt her tug on his arm and conceded to letting her snuggle with him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** I have been working on this story for a while. I know my chapter three bashes Mukuro a little, but it's just what I'm working on now. I'm working on my characters so if you have something mean to say, don't say anything at all. And if you have to say it, say it gently. I have plans for Mukuro. Don't worry about that. And if you have suggestions, I welcome them. Yu Yu Hakusho is tied with Dragonball Z as my favorite anime of all time, so I know what I like and what I talk about (besides I do extensive research on everything I do.)

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Hiei closed his Jagan and tied the bandana around his head once again. He had made sure Kary had gotten to work safely after dropping Keyan off at the old woman's. She had been adamant about doing things her way and he hadn't been able to say no. Not like there was any way he could anyway. She lived in the Human World with Kurama while he was between worlds on a good day.

It had been a week since the meeting with Koenma. Kary had been quiet the day after. She went job hunting and found a decent one working at the college Kurama was currently attending for botany classes. That in and of itself made the fire demon scoff because the fox knew more about plants than the professors probably did. Obviously the fox had pulled a few strings because Kary was now an assistant in the mythology department.

He knew her schedule like the back of his hand. One reason was he stared at the piece of paper her schedule had been written on for hours on end when she got it. Second, he watched her every time she left the house. Not like it mattered anyway. She was a naturally born psychic, much like Genkai, except her specialties were telepathy and battle tactics. He didn't have to search for her because most times her mind brushed against his without her knowing. He would never say anything about it because he might pull that away from him.

He sighed as he walked through the empty streets to Mukuro's stronghold. The demon lord hadn't said a word to him since he returned to work. Either she was too busy or she was too mad to discuss what he had done behind her back. Everyone in Demon World; hell, even in Spirit World for all he knew; thought he was her consort. She sure acted like it on most occasions.

Granted Hiei was a male fire demon. He had needs most humans would consider inhumane. He tended to take that aggression out on tress and sometimes, when the occasion arose and was too hard to pass up, Kuwabara. Everyone knew Mukuro made advances to him and in the past he had acknowledged them and sometimes entertained the idea, but he knew the consequences of going through with that. So when the needs became too unbearable, he went to the Human World to relieve them.

For two years, while he was working with the Spirit Detective, the oaf and the fox to expunge his record, he had used ordinary human women, erasing their memories afterward. Then he had gotten in trouble for attacking a teacher and had his powers taken from him. That was when he met Kary. She had been different. He hadn't had to do anything to her; she was that attracted to him. So after she had gone back to her own country and his needs arose again, he did the only thing he had been thinking about.

He sought her out.

Nothing had prepared him for the reaction he would receive and no one told him that by sleeping with her many times would get her pregnant. He knew that's how it happened, but he never thought it'd happen to him.

Now there was a possibility everything could blow up in his face if Mukuro was totally pissed at him. He figured she would be, but sometimes she was consolable. This time might not be that time.

The door hissed open as he walked into her office. On her view screen she had a couple of videos present. One was of Kary as she walked across the campus to work. The other was of Yukina playing with Keyan in the backyard. The toddler would walk a few paces then fall and look up at the sky as if the wind had pushed him. Hiei didn't know whether to be shocked or angry so he settled for neutral.

"It's quite the little family you have there. Do you know that, Hiei?" Mukuro asked suddenly.

He would have jumped had he not heard the intake of breath seconds before she spoke. "What do you want with them, Mukuro?"

"That human doesn't deserve you. She doesn't realize the power you wield."

"I think she does. She's the one who stopped Sensui and Itsuki five years ago from taking over Demon World via the dragons."

A new look came over Mukuro's features as she thought about that. "So she's the one. And what of her sister?"

"The older twin doesn't remember anything that happened to her. As requested, I erased her memories."

"And this one?"

"She has a strong telepathy. She would not be easily broken even if I try and I do not wish to."

Mukuro turned at her second in command. "A bold statement. Is it because she loves you and you feel the same way?"

The same pain almost crippled him. "She doesn't love me because I asked her not to. It was simpler that way."

"And what of the little boy? What do you think of your son, Hiei?"

The fire demon looked up at the video feed of his son rolling in the grass with Yukina. Keyan had his mother's temperament but everything else was his father's from the red eyes to the black hair.

"My son has warrior's blood coursing through his veins, from both sides. He's a fire demon, but he's also human. If that means I have to hate my son because his mother is human, I will not do that."

Mukuro seemed to think that over. When she found out Hiei had fathered a child with a human, she had been mad. But one look at that little boy had given her a change of heart. She had decided against taking him from his mother, instead opting to watch from a distance. Then she had seen Hiei interact with him and her whole perception changed again. She wanted a child of her own, but in Demon World, it was sometimes a bad idea. Maybe that was the reason Hiei had gone to Human World to have his child.

She watched as the fire demon's gaze never left the screen. So this was the bond of a father and his son. It seemed that Hiei's world had changed long before this boy had been born. It had happened when he met that fool of an ex-Spirit Detective. Yusuke Urameshi had warped the little demon's brain, or so she thought. It actually made him more dependable.

Her thoughts were halted as the video of Kary adjusted to allow Kurama into the picture. The fox had been her rival during the last Demon World Tournament but by the look on her companion's face, he was more of a friend to him.

'Why don't you get to know Mukuro?' Kurama suggested as they walked through the doors of one of the buildings, him being a gentleman and holding the door.

'If I'm not mistaken, she was one of the ones who wanted me and my sister for power when we housed the dragons five years ago. Don't misunderstand if I don't trust her,' Kary answered.

'She helped you in the end.' Obviously the woman had done something to make the red head hold his hands up in defense. 'It is truly up to you.'

'I have a son to worry about, Kurama.'

'Yes, as does Hiei.' The fox looked at her from the corner of his eye. 'You're not jealous of her are you?'

'I thought we left the babbling to Kuwabara.'

'It makes sense if you are. Hiei's spent the last year with Mukuro while you were raising your son. Maybe you're upset with him because of that.'

Kary shook her head, dark hair spilling over her shoulder as she did so. 'I'm not jealous. I just worry. I never know what demons are going to do. Take your fire demon friend for instance. One moment he can be on your team and the next he can walk away as if nothing's going on.'

'Koenma showed you the Dark Tournament footage.' There was silence on the other end. 'Are you nervous Mukuro will do something?'

'I'm nervous any demon, besides yourself and Yusuke, will try something. It comes with being a mother.'

'I believe that.' Kurama stopped and looked at her calmly. 'Kary, is there any possible way you would consent to going to Demon World to talk with Mukuro? It might make things easier for Hiei.'

The look on Kary's face when she thought about causing Hiei trouble was not something any of them had seen. She rubbed her arms agitatedly. 'Yeah, I guess I could do that.'

The fox demon looked closely at his friend. 'Are you sure you're not in love with him?'

'You can care for someone without being in love with them, Kurama.'

The conversation dropped off as they entered the room. Mukuro glanced at Hiei, noticing his gaze hadn't left the screen. Now he was looking at his son. This had a profound effect on the fire demon.

"You've become soft," she said.

"I've become soft because I have something I care about?" he asked.

"No, you've become soft because you fell in love with that woman."

"Kary and I are simply friends with benefits. It has nothing to do with love."

"That look on her face told me everything I need to know about her. She may say she doesn't love you, but she is fond of you and would be even without your son."

"What are you planning to do with her?"

"I'm bringing her here with your son. The only reason I'm telling you this is so you know and don't go crazy on me. You will be allowed to see them on a daily basis but I want to see what this girl can handle."

"Don't you dare hurt my son."

"I'm not going to, but she will not go without him." Mukuro turned to him then. "I want you to tell her what I'm planning. Bring her to me tonight."

Hiei wanted to argue but knew it was better to just go along with what she was saying. He didn't want any harm to come to his young family. Without answering, he turned and left the room, eventually leaving the stronghold altogether.

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Kary knew something was wrong when Hiei met her at Genkai's as soon as she stepped off the bus. He didn't say a word as he followed her to the temple. She refused to ask him anything out in the open, knowing full well something or someone would be listening.

As soon as they walked in, Keyan toddled over to him. Hiei picked the little boy up and held him closer than he ever had before. That let Kary know something was eating him alive. The look on his face showed it as well. No one else would see it but she had watched him long enough to know his different faces.

"What's going on?" she asked when they were in the safety of the inner sanctum. Everyone looked at her but she was totally focused on him.

Hiei lifted his nose from his son's hair and looked her dead in the eye. "You're to come with me to Demon World."

The others around them started talking at once. To them, Koenma had been right. Mukuro was making her move. But to Kary, the look on the father of her son said a different story totally. It said he didn't have a choice in the matter. If Kurama were there, he'd see the same thing.

She heard Yusuke and Kuwabara arguing in the background but it was what was in Hiei's mind that had her attention. She felt him brushing lightly against her mind, showing her what they had talked about and how he had come to this decision. It was one he had to abide by fully.

She nodded. "Okay."

Hiei watched her gather Keyan's things before reaching for him. He gave the little boy over to his mother without argument and led her from the temple, ignoring the others as they yelled at them. With that over, his worrying had just increased tenfold.


	5. Chapter 5

**Recap:** Mukuro demands Kary comes to Demon World and the young woman agrees without a fight.

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Kary followed Hiei down the long hallway. She should be nervous but for some reason she wasn't. This was probably a good opportunity for her. She could probably learn some new things.

What Kurama said was ringing in her head. Maybe she should try to get to know Mukuro and find out how the woman ticked. It might help her understand why Hiei stayed near her all the time.

Keyan was asleep by the time they arrived in the main office area. Mukuro had her head bowed as another demon talked her ear off about border patrols. She nodded minutely during it all, giving Kary time to look her over. She was still short haired and most of her attachments were in good working order. Kary watched them glint as the woman moved.

Finally she looked up. Hiei stopped his fidgeting, something he rarely did, to look straight at her. Kary tilted her head gently to say she wasn't judging. Something in the other woman's face gave away her emotions. She wasn't happy.

"Leave us." At the command, the other demon bowed and left the room quickly. Mukuro stood and moved around the table. "So this is the mother of your son? Very ordinary, Hiei."

"She is far from ordinary, Mukuro," Hiei replied, refusing to look at Kary. He wasn't about to let her exploit his weakness anymore.

"Hiei," Kary said calmly. When he looked at her, she dislodged Keyan from her neck and held him to him. The father took his son and watched as the mother took a step forward. "I know what you're thinking. Just because the dragon is free of my body doesn't mean I'm without power. Far from it, actually. I just never use my power but it's there."

"I commend your tenacity. Not many humans would stand before me and say what you have," Mukuro stated.

"I'm not many humans."

Mukuro smiled and motioned. "Please. Show me what you can do."

Hiei watched as Kary swiped her tongue across her lower lip. One foot slid from the other, stopping shoulder width apart. She tensed her shoulders and lowered her head. A sudden pulse went through the room. Kary had opened up her psychic territory. When he got a good look at her, Kary's eyes had changed from their normal brown color to a light blue. Somewhere deep inside her the power of the dragon still resided, feeding her strength.

The air crackled as blue electricity formed a barrier around her. It was a protective barrier that would slice anyone to shreds if they came close to it.

He looked to Mukuro. She was impressed. The only other person she had been impressed by was Yusuke. That was because she didn't know if he was a natural idiot or just lucky. With Kary, he could tell she hadn't expected all this power to come from a human, a human woman no less.

Kary let her thoughts of anger fizzle away. Her body cooled and the electrical charge that accompanied this disappeared. Her vision went from cool blue to clear in a matter of moments. Sometimes she was tired but this time her anger had fueled a recharging she had never felt. A chill went over her skin at the sudden loss of heat.

"Impressive, but how well do you block attacks?" she asked.

"Mukuro, don't!" Hiei called.

It was too late. The demon lord sent a blast of energy at the human. Kary barely had enough time to guard herself, much less reflect it. She flipped in mid air to give her body a chance to recuperate before landing on one knee. She looked up at the demon lord but unable to rise.

"You should work on that."

"I haven't been into battle in two years. So I've lost a little bit of my edge." Kary replied as she stood slowly. Her right arm hurt. "I can easily get it back."

Mukuro raised an eyebrow. "Really now? How do you propose you do that?"

Kary took a deep breath, knowing exactly what she was about to do. "You're going to train me."

Hiei inhaled deeply through his teeth as he watched Mukuro straighten. What the hell was Kary thinking employing an order in Demon World? He looked at the young woman. She was glaring gently at the older demon. He had a bad feeling about this. Kary wasn't impetuous. That was his job. She should be more careful about what she said and did here. Obviously something had been knocked loose in that head of hers.

Mukuro stared levelly at Kary. She was being either very stupid or very brave. She was leaning towards the second choice. But as Kary rubbed her right arm, she realized the woman was actually hiding the pain she was feeling. Maybe this was something she could work with. Maybe she could mold this woman to be a deadly weapon.

"I'll train you under one condition."

Kary turned abruptly. "If it deals with my son, you can forget about it. He's not part of this agreement."

"My condition is you fall in love with Hiei." The two looked at her in shock. She smiled ruefully. "You already have a son and you will be sharing a room while you are here. It should be easy for you. After your time here, you can decide whether to stay or go back to the Human World. It's your choice after your training is complete. Hiei, show her to your room.' She turned her back on them, knowing Hiei wouldn't deny her order.

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Hiei was quiet as he led the way towards his room. Kary was a silent entity behind him. It unnerved him somewhat because usually she would let him know what was going on. Right now, he had the distinct feeling she was trying to sort through all the emotions she had waging through her at the moment.

The next distinctive feeling was the Kurama had put her up to this. He had heard him suggest she get to know Mukuro. He had no idea what she would do to do that. She had the tendency to go overboard with something. He felt her grip the back of his jacket as they continued down the hallway.

He opened the door at the end of the hall and went in. The room was slightly musty because he rarely stayed there. When he did, it was in the shadows or in the kitchen. He turned on the light and watched as she moved around. This was going to be their home for as long as Mukuro decided she needed to train Kary.

She walked around the room carefully, taking in everything she saw. He watched her after he set Keyan down on the floor. Something was bothering her. He could definitely see it now that he had her in a room and was able to look at her without getting told he was getting too soft. Maybe he was but this would have any man, human or demon, thinking things over.

"You heard what Kurama said to me?" she asked suddenly. He looked at her closer. "That mirror in her office was obviously a view screen. You were spying on me."

"You know I do," he replied, not even trying to deny it.

"So you know what Kurama told me to do."

"Yes, but what I don't understand is why you're going along with it."

"I'm not."

At that he was a little confused. "You're not?"

She shook her head. "Nope."

"Then what the hell was that out there? You're going to get yourself killed."

"No, I won't."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"She won't do anything to cause you emotional harm."

That didn't make any sense to him and the look on his face would convey that. If only she would look at him. "Care to elaborate?"

"The two of you are too much alike. She sees that. She wouldn't do anything to cause you anymore emotional harm because she knows what it's like to be abandoned, as you do. If you left her because she did something to me, she would have no one to fill that void."

"How can you tell?"

"It's woman's intuition. That's why I told her she would train me."

"That's what doesn't make any since at all. Why would you tell her that?" He was completely at a disadvantage here. He had no clue what was going on in her mind.

"It gives her more time with you, it gives her time to get to know Keyan, and gives her time to know me. It might give her closure if you decide to leave Demon World for good."

"Understanding Mukuro will not be easy."

"I never said it would."

He had the sudden urge to touch her. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. After a few moments, she gripped his wrists in response. He pressed his forehead against the back of her neck. This had been the longest he'd seen her and not laid a hand on her other than to take their son.

"I've missed you," she whispered.

"Same here."

"Why didn't you come back?"

"I did but you weren't there. I looked for two days but I couldn't find you and I wasn't asking your family."

"I can understand that. They're not the most reliable sort." She paused. "I was in San Diego. That's where I had Keyan. That's why you didn't find me."

"Did you run away?"

"No, San Diego has the one of the best medical centers in southern California. My aunt lives there as well so she took me in until I had the baby."

"Why didn't you contact me?"

"There was no way I could. I never knew where you were. So there was no reason for me to do it until I thought it was right."

Hiei watched as she turned in his arms. She watched him for a moment just to see what he was going to do while she was standing that close. He closed his eyes and snorted a little before backing away. He wasn't going to lay a hand on her and that made her happy.

He saw her turn and lift Keyan into her arms, starting the little swaying she did when she was trying to put him to sleep. It was a gentle movement that always put the kid to sleep within a few minutes of starting. He had watched her dance around the room with him when he was wide awake. Obviously it was something that mother and child enjoyed together.

After placing him in a crib someone had obviously thought to bring into the room, Kary stepped out on to the balcony to take in the sights. Last time she had been there she couldn't remember very well but she remembered the smells. Somewhere out there were the dragons she and her sister had released. Somewhere out there were the women who threw Hiei from his home. Somewhere out there were the men who abused Mukuro.

This was going to be the hardest days, weeks, maybe even months of her life. Giving birth had been hard but she was glad she did it. She wouldn't change her life with her son for anything. At the moment, she was getting into something that could do one of three things. It could make her lose her mind; it could kill her; or it could make her stronger. She hoped it was the latter.

Hiei watched her come in and close the door. She checked Keyan once before changing her clothes. He was still amazed she wasn't self conscious about changing in front of him. Then again, she did have an older brother. That could be one of the reasons she wasn't perturbed about it.

She sighed and stretched before crawling in the bed. He knew she would stay awake a few moments before dropping off into sleep. It was something she did that he'd like to remedy but there was no way he could without getting yelled at. That was one thing about her. She hated being told what to do or how to live her life. It made him wonder why she was even going to train with Mukuro. The other woman was a slave driver when it came to training.

"Hiei?" her voice called out in the dark.

"Hn." It was his signature response when he didn't want to say anything else.

"Do you think I'll have a chance of completing this training?"

"How hard can you work?"

"As much as I need to get the job done."

"Then that's all you have to do. If she gets too rough, I'll step in."

"No. I want to do this myself. I have to do this for myself and for Keyan. I don't want anyone to harm him if you're not around."

It was a sensible reply. There was no way he could be there the entire time. She needed to be able to protect them both.

"I understand."

"Thank you."

"Go to sleep." Within minutes he heard her breathing even out telling him she was asleep. He pressed his knees against his face and watched her. "I hope you survive this."


	6. Chapter 6

"Get up!"

Kary slid to a stop and heaved her body into a standing position, using the wall as a crutch. Blood slipped down her face in a steady drip. The sword in her hand was held loosely because of a deep cut on her wrist. Mukuro had done a number on her in the five hours they had been training. And this wasn't the first training session either.

Since they had started, Kary had gotten the worse end of the stick. Mukuro was violent and sadistic and tried everything she could to either kill her or make her beg to stop. But Kary wouldn't give up.

"Weaponry is obviously not your strong suit," Mukuro stated as she walked around the room. She flicked her eyes to Hiei. The fire demon hadn't moved since they had entered the room. He was obviously forcing himself to sit still when he desperately wanted to help.

She turned her attention back to her pupil as the sword clattered to the ground. "Pick up that sword. You will learn to wield that weapon efficiently."

"Mukuro, don't be so harsh," Hiei said from across the room.

"She needs to learn how to fight and the best way to do that is with a weapon." Power wafted through the room forcing both of them to look at the young human.

She was glowing blue with spirit energy and something else. "What is that?"

"I don't know."

Both watched as the flare of blue lowered into a gentle glow. Kary stood straight and looked at Mukuro. She took one step and ice shot forward to cover the floor. The room chilled, allowing the ice to expand until it engulfed the room. Hiei had jumped off the windowsill to get away from the sudden chill and the precipitation that followed.

"What are you?" Mukuro asked.

"Generically, I'm an ice master. Officially I'm a cryokinetic. And I know weaponry." She held her hand to one side and something formed in her palm. When she closed her fingers over it, it extended and slanted. She lifted her hands. When the empty hand touched the smooth string that could barely be seen, something formed from her first two fingers and thumb. "Now watch."

She stomped on the floor once and a huge circle came out the ice. She released the arrows and they watched as it hit the bull's eye and then the target shattered.

"Impressive. Can you do anything else?" Mukuro had to dodge the slew of daggers that came at her. An ice disk was the last thing before the ice receded as Kary's energy depleted. Mukuro turned to Hiei. "You have never seen this before?"

Hiei shook his head. "No, never. She never fought so I never had the luxury."

"Why did you hide your power?" The question was aimed at Kary.

She struggled to get to her feet only to decide just to sit down. "Do you know what would have happened if I showed anyone this? I would have been thrown into a mental institution and treated for insanity. The only ones who know are my brother and sister and Koenma. That's it."

"You've put up with me for two weeks without mentioning this to either one of us? I could have killed you."

"My power explodes when I'm in danger so it wasn't a problem."

"You think you still aren't in danger? That's a foolish thing to believe."

"I'm always in danger when I'm around you. I just hide it really well."

Mukuro looked at her. There was something about this girl that made her want to help her. But that wasn't in Mukuro's interest. She was trying to take her best fighter from her and she wasn't going to allow that to happen.

Without a word, she sent a torrent of energy at the woman she was supposed to be training. Kary screamed in agony as the energy swirled around her. Finally Mukuro let up. The young woman slumped down on the floor. Mukuro turned and left the room.

When Hiei was certain she was gone, he stepped away from the wall and went to the girl on the floor. He pushed her shoulder gently, and when she didn't get up, he simply lifted her off the floor. Her blond hair fell over his arm as he carried her back to their room.

Keyan squealed excitedly when they came in. Hiei smiled a little. In the month and a half they had been in Demon World, the little guy had grown. It could have been the demon blood in his veins was affecting him. Demons grew at different rates than humans. But he was also half human so it could be a tossup.

Keyan clamored to get up on the bed and finally succeeded when Hiei grabbed him by the back of his pants and pulled him up. The toddler looked at his mother as he crawled to her. When she didn't look at him in the amount of time he thought she should, he crawled up to her head and smacked her a couple of times with his meaty little hands.

"Alright, Mini Me," Hiei stated as he brought a rag back from the bathroom. "Settle down. Your mother's going to just fine. She's just a little banged up at the moment."

He sat beside Keyan and swiftly undressed the unconscious woman. Mukuro had done a number on her. Cuts ranging from deep to severe riddled her skin. He dealt with the severe ones first before tending the lighter ones.

As he cleaned her up he remembered the first time he had tended her wounds. She had been the dragon literally. She didn't know how to control it and it made her an extremely powerful psychic. Not many humans drew his eye but she had and he wasn't sure how. It might have been her desire to protect her twin sister. That he could understand and respect.

He looked over at Keyan. The little boy was playing with the pillow cases as he waited. It was hard to believe that this little boy was his. Being a father was never something Hiei had ever thought about. He figured he would simply go through life fulfilling his urges without consequence. That had changed the night he found out he was a father. Ever since then he decided he wasn't going to be the type of demon/person who walked away from responsibility. Yusuke called it a deadbeat dad.

When he was satisfied he had bandaged as much as he could, Hiei scooped Keyan up and walked to the hole in the floor he had packed with ice. When Mukuro wasn't paying attention to him, he would sneak back to the Human World to get supplies for the child. He couldn't eat demon food. Rather Hiei hadn't tried but he was certain Kary would have a fit if he did.

He made the child something to eat. From what he had gleaned, he knew Kary kept him on a strict diet since he was just a baby. She didn't want him to eat stuff that would cause his growth to be stunted. Not like it really mattered. Hiei was only 4'10 and Kary wasn't much over five foot. There wasn't a chance this child would be much taller.

As he watched Keyan devour his food, he thought about where they would live. Kary wouldn't want to move to the Demon World. The only reason she had come voluntarily was because she didn't want anything to happen to him or Keyan. He understood that. His honor code wouldn't have allowed it either. He would have done anything to protect them. But he didn't figure she'd want to live here the rest of her days or raise her son there.

Demon World had been Hiei's home for the majority of his life. The only time he ever left it was when he went to Human World with the Shadow Sword. After being caught, he figured he might as well stay with the fox since he could keep him out of trouble. Then his sister had been in trouble and he had joined the Dark Tournament team. Then came Sensui and finally the Three Kings tournament. After Mukuro had lost, he had decided he'd stay close to the border for Kary's sake.

Well, it had been more for his sake because he needed to be able to get to her as fast as possible. Now he was thinking of asking her to live here. He was certain she wasn't going to but he had to try.

Keyan was a full, happy baby and started falling asleep as soon as he was done. Hiei had to remember how Kary put him to sleep. She usually sang to him but Hiei didn't know any songs. Very gently he placed the baby in the bed beside his mother. After a few moments of thought, he climbed in beside him, putting the baby between him and Kary. Soon the little one was asleep.

"Are you okay?" he asked when he felt Kary stir.

She sighed then opened her eyes. When she turned her head to him, he blinked. "Where am I?"

"We're back in our room. You used up too much of your spirit energy and passed out. I blame Mukuro but it doesn't matter. You need to do better."

Kary sat up in the bed, noting Keyan beside her when she did so. "I'm working on it. There's not much more I can do."

"Get angry." She cast him a look as she got up. "I'm serious. The only way to survive here is for you to get angry and let your power flow."

"I won't get angry because I won't teach my son that way. If Mukuro wants me to do better, she's going to have to get over it. I won't be angry. It leads to disaster."

Hiei grunted as she disappeared into the bathroom. She wasn't going to get mad and without that anger she couldn't tap into her power. Or could she? She had formed a bow and arrow when she needed it. Could she do that with just a little training?

"Kary?" he asked as she came out of the bathroom. She looked at him as she changed clothes. "Can you form that ice bow immediately?"

"Yeah, on normal occasions. Why?"

"I was thinking if you can do that faster than you did maybe we can get you out of here sooner."

She frowned and looked at him. "What? You don't want me here?"

"It's not that I don't. You obviously don't want to be here. I don't blame you. This isn't a place for a human even if the human is a psychic."

She came back to the bed and sat down. She stared at Keyan for a long while. He could easily hear what she was thinking but he figured it was better to stay out of her mind. She could probably shut him out anyway.

"Hiei, you don't have to worry about us. We can survive without you. We have for almost two years. I don't want you to think you need to be with us every step of the way," she finally said. She looked over at him. "You can see Keyan any time you want. You can even bring him here but we won't be staying after I finish this training."

"What about her other condition?"

"She'll get over it." Kary nodded at him then hunkered down in the bed to get ready to sleep, leaving Hiei to discern what could happen.


	7. Chapter 7

"Why have you stopped?" Mukuro demanded.

Kary felt her mind come back into the room and centralize on her face. Something was wrong. She dropped her bow and pressed into the disturbance even further. It was always best to have a telepath somewhere near at all times. He or she could always tell when something was wrong.

It was just outside the city walls, moving quickly and as quietly as it could. Whoever was in charge was trying to make it to them without a word. That wasn't going to help when Kary was a constant presence in Hiei's mind. He was the one seeing this first hand. She was the one gleaning it from him and it wasn't pretty.

Finally she turned her gaze back to Mukuro. The demon was watching her curiously. When her eyes changed back to their normal shade, she stood and walked to her.

"I need you to listen very carefully to me," she said calmly. Mukuro tilted her head slightly. "There is an army marching on your lands. If you wish for your followers to live, you will heed my warning and get ready for battle."

"How does a simple human know this?" Mukuro asked.

"Like Hiei, I am a telepath. I was just pulling from him what he was seeing. They're not far out. If you don't believe me then you can look on your view screen."

"What if you're lying?"

"Why would I lie about something that could hurt my son?"

Mukuro stared at her. This woman had spent four months enduring hard sessions of training. She allowed the demon lord to do just about whatever she wished. It was all for her son and the father of that little boy. It was for her friends. She didn't care what happened to her as long as everyone around her was safe.

She could see the courage, the fear and anger in her eyes. This was a woman trying to save her even though Mukuro had done her best to kill her spirit and take her son.

Before either woman could say anything, Hiei burst in the door with Keyan in his arms. He wrapped a hand around Kary's wrist and tugged her to him. They looked at each other, something silent passing between them. Kary looked back at her.

"We have to go. This place is about to be attacked," Hiei said.

The women held each other's gazes. Mukuro had to decide what she wanted to do. Did she want to believe Kary and defend her home or did she just want to kill the three of them.

Mukuro was shocked speechless when Kary held out her hand and held her eyes for the longest. She was giving her a way out. She didn't move at all. The demon lord noticed Hiei's eyes grew large at the small gesture but he didn't move. He obviously had no idea this girl would hold her hand out to someone such as her.

"Take my hand," Kary said. "Take my hand and you can be safe. Allow your men to fight off these invaders then come back. You won't be considered a coward for trying to save yourself. Your men will understand because they know you are sick."

Hiei shook his head when Mukuro looked at him sharply. No one outside of her little circle knew Mukuro had been ill for a while. It had come from something she caught in the Human World a few months back when she had gone to spy on Hiei. She had never gotten rid of it and if she didn't soon, she was afraid it would turn into something worse.

Taking a deep breath, she took Kary's hand. Within seconds, they were running through the hallways. Mukuro knew Hiei would get them out of here safely. Running behind the human gave her time to see how these two worked together. Hiei would turn a corner and as soon as they were gone, Kary would lay a layer of ice to make sure someone couldn't follow them. If they tried, they'd slip and break something.

Hiei kept the child protected as he ran. It meant he couldn't use his sword but Kary could shoot better than Mukuro had seen anyone. She was highly skilled at finding targets. She wasn't sure if it was because the young woman was telepathic and finding them, or because Hiei was giving her the targets. Whatever way, it was working.

They came to the final turn and everything stopped. Hiei handed Keyan to his mother and stepped up. Kary took Hiei's scarf and made a makeshift baby hammock. She slipped her son into it and covered him with her jacket. It gave her free hands so she could move through the ones Hiei felled without hurting her son.

"Your best bet would be to give that child to me," Mukuro said.

Kary glanced over her shoulder. "Why should I?"

"Oh for crying out loud! Why would I take him when you and Hiei are trying to get me out of here without getting hurt? It wouldn't be fair to you."

The other woman let an arrow fly. "Since when do you care about fairness?"

"Just give me the child."

Kary groaned the untied her son quickly, handing him over to the demon. "I swear if anything happens to him, I'll kill you myself."

Mukuro was cuddling Keyan close when the second barrage arrived. Hiei disappeared and could only be seen in flashes of light that could only be his sword. Kary was fighting hand to hand when she was too close to someone to get a shot off.

As she was watching, Mukuro noticed a couple of demons sneaking up using the shadows. Hiei was on the other side of the room clearing the hidden doorway. It left Kary wide open. Before she could say anything, the demon posse jumped Kary. She didn't go down without a fight but when she went down, she went down hard.

"Hiei!" Mukuro called.

The little fire demon was there in an instant. He killed the demons attempting to beat the snot out of Kary. When he jerked her up, she was bleeding from the mouth. She wiped it away immediately and turned. Hiei turned to Mukuro and nodded before jumping back into battle.

Kary backed up so she was protecting Mukuro and Keyan. She had a slight limp now since she was bleeding from a cut to her thigh.

"Go towards Hiei," she said quietly. "He'll get you to safety."

"What about you?" Mukuro asked. There was no way this woman was going to be able to defend herself against twenty demons coming their way.

"Just go. My son is my first priority. You're holding him, which makes you a priority by default."

Mukuro didn't argue. She turned and ran towards the opened escape hatch. She glanced over her shoulder to see Kary firing volley after volley of ice arrows. It didn't help that every time she took a step back, blood pooled on the floor. She was losing precious energy but she was too stubborn to stop. Keyan was in danger.

She made it to the door just as Hiei took out the last demon standing there. He turned and hustled her though it. Then his gaze went to the one fighting for their survival. He went to jump back in when a hand closed on his shoulder.

"Get your son to safety. We'll get Kary."

Mukuro watched Raizen's heir charge into battle. He was followed by Kurama in his natural form. Together the ex-spirit detective and the fox worked their way through the enemies. Death plants popped up everywhere, taking out the one's Kurama specified. Yusuke was just plowing through them like nobody's business.

As the door closed, Mukuro heard a scream. Hiei flinched beside her but continued ushering her to Human World. When they emerged on the other side, Yukina took the baby and went to another room.

"Welcome back to my temple," Genkai said. She handed Mukuro a cup of tea and ushered her closer to the fire. "It was a unanimous decision for you to come here should anything happen in Demon World. Kurama's been in constant contact with Kary. Her telepathy is strong and it gave us a great way to see her progress. Due to your training she has become quite strong."

Mukuro looked up at that. "I haven't felt anything."

"She's very good at hiding her power," Koenma stated. "Her child will be equally as powerful considering both mother and father are strong."

"Why doesn't she use her power?"

"Kary doesn't use her power for useless things. She'd rather be taking care of her son than get worldly possessions."

"Hiei, quit pacing. The boys will be back as soon as they can. Kary will be fine," Botan said as she watched the fire demon pace unhappily in front of the portal. He stopped momentarily and glared at her before resuming his pacing. "Oh, dear. I'm afraid he's not going to be fine until he sees her."

"She was losing a lot of blood last time I saw her," Mukuro said as she finished her tea.

There was a flash of light as the portal opened once again then closed. Yusuke was staring over his shoulder. Youko stood stoically but he was staring down at the bundle in his arms. It was obvious he had taken his shirt off and wrapped it around the person in his arms. He and Yusuke finally looked at each other.

Hiei was beside them instantly. "What happened?"

Yusuke ran a hand through his hair. "The roof caved in just as we were killing the last guy. Kary's leg got caught in the rubble. She's unconscious, Hiei, and she needs to be healed."

"Will she survive?" Mukuro asked.

"With proper medical treatment, yes. But we must start now," Youko said. He took one step forward and Hiei backed away. "If it's all right with you, I'll craft a healing cocoon for her. It will take a couple of days for us to see any progress."

"Do what you must," Hiei said. He was suffering in the worst way.

Mukuro sighed in annoyance and tugged him out of the room. He didn't argue when she stopped outside. He looked up at her when she turned around to look at him.

"Just do it," she said. He frowned. "I know what she means to you. Even if she hasn't fallen in love with you, you have fallen in love with her. It's evident in the way you watch her. You also care for your child which is much more than any of the other demons I know. You belong here with your family."

She didn't let him say anything as she walked back into the house and back to the fire.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: I completely lost the folder this story was in and just realized I hadn't finished this story. Well, here is the last chapter.

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Mukuro stood at the glowing green portal and looked at the people gathered. She really didn't care about any of them save one but he wasn't present. She knew he wouldn't be.

For the last two weeks, Mukuro had been cooped up in Genkai's temple with the rest of the former Spirit Detective team. She still couldn't believe a simple human had saved her life and nearly lost her own in the process. Humans were supposed to be selfish and only care for themselves, but this one human woman had done the exact opposite and paid the price.

Kurama had created and maintained a healing cocoon or chamber in one of the bigger bedrooms. They had had to take the floorboards up so the plants could grow in the room. After Kary had been placed on the moss-covered plant, Kurama had kicked everyone out so she could heal. He had made concoctions to keep her fed and hydrated.

Keyan hadn't understood what was going on. For the last year he had been able to see his mother without any hesitations. Now women he barely knew were keeping him from the room. After the first few days of crying almost incessantly, he calmed down and got to know the young women who had stepped forward to help take care of him. He was still the very rambunctious toddler.

Hiei was the one who took it the hardest. He barely ate and he sat outside the room all the time. When Kurama came out, he peeked in and asked how everything was going. It was always the same answer but he asked anyway. Mukuro had never seen him act that way unless it had to do with Yukina. But now, he was hooked on a human woman and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

She had even gone into the room to see the progress for herself. Kurama was very patient as he explained why it was taking so long for Kary to heal. She had sustained too much internal damage than anyone had thought. The plants could only do so much to heal her and it took time.

It was time for Mukuro to go back to her home and no one could stop that. Hiei finally decided to grace the group with his presence but he wasn't very communicative, not like he was to begin with. He kept his eyes downcast as everyone talked.

"I would say it's sad to see you go, Mukuro, but that would be a lie. I can't wait to see you get out of here," Yusuke said with his character asshole smile.

Mukuro shook her head. "You would be so much better if you kept your mouth shut." His smile widened then her gaze shifted. "How is she?"

"I don't know. Kurama kicked me out. I have no clue what he's doing," he replied. He was very angry at his best friend and everyone could understand why.

"She'll be fine, Hiei," Kayko replied. "You just have to be patient."

Hiei simply snorted. Mukuro watched him for a moment then turned towards the portal. She was getting ready to leave when someone stopped her.

"Wait." Everyone turned towards the temple. Kurama's white head shone bright in his demon form. He had one arm slung around Kary as she gripped his shirt tightly.

Hiei moved immediately. Kary waved him away and he looked a little hurt. Kurama cast him a sympathetic look as he kept walking. Mukuro watched as the duo came up to her.

"Be safe. That's all I can say," Kary said.

"I owe you thanks for saving my life," Mukuro replied.

Something silent passed between the two and Kary nodded. The others looked between them as Kurama backtracked with the woman as Mukuro stepped through the portal. The green orb pulsed then closed. Kary turned her head into the fox demon's silver hair and blew out a ragged breath.

"You need to go back to your room," Kurama said.

"Yeah," she agreed. Kurama bent his knees and pulled her into his arms. As he walked back towards the room, he stopped by Hiei briefly. "You should come with us."

The fire demon did as he was told, which was really interesting because he never did what he was told. Kurama opened the door and walked over to the bed made of vines. Kary groaned then turned her head so she could see Hiei as he sat down beside her. Kurama smiled then moved away.

"What did she say to you?" he asked.

"Nothing really. Just that I needed to treat you well." She rubbed her eyes. "I'm so tired."

"How long have you been awake?"

"Not very long. I opened my eyes and Kurama told me Mukuro was leaving. Then he hauled me up and out we went."

"I have something to ask you," he said.

Kary turned her head when he was quiet. He was blushing gently. She laughed. "Whatever it is, it can't be that bad."

"It is for a demon."

He didn't say too much after that. He sat on his knees and took her hand. He took out his sword and cut a straight line in his skin. He met Kary's eyes and held them as he did the same to her. She flinched a little bit but didn't move too much. He placed the sword on the ground then turned his wrist down until their wounds were pressed together.

"This is an ancient thing that only happens when two people are truly connected. I believe we are. I've never thought a human would catch my attention. Well, Yusuke did but he's the one who formed our team."

Kary watched him closely as he summoned his power. She could see the power of the dragon ebbing and flowing around him. For a few brief moments it made her yearn for the dragon she had housed for years in her own body, but then she remembered how painful it was at times.

"My blood to your blood, I now bind you to me. I take you as my mate, or my wife in human terms. Your well-being will be my responsibility. I share everything with you, including my power. Only death shall tear us apart," he said without any hesitation.

She felt his power seep into her bones. It wasn't as much but she knew he was there. There was also the fact that he was a telepath as well. As the bond took shape, she could feel him in her mind. He wasn't probing or anything. He was just a consistent presence.

There was a passionate smile on his face when she opened her eyes. He ran his hand over her forehead and smoothed back her hair. "Just sleep. I'll watch over Keyan."

She nodded and her head dropped to the side. He waited until she was completely asleep before he walked out. Kurama smiled at him as he walked past. He knew his scent had changed as well his aura.

"Is everything all right?" Yusuke asked as he came around the corner.

"She's asleep. She'll be staying here from now on," Hiei replied.

"What about you?"

"I'll be here."

"So you're part of the team?"

Hiei stopped and looked up at the ex-Spirit Detective. "Yusuke, I've always been part of the team."

Yusuke smiled and shook his head. He watched as the fire demon caught his son as he came running towards him, hands flailing behind him.


End file.
